


Bonding

by Plume_Sombre



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Fluff, Friendship, Gen, KinKuniKage Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-17
Updated: 2017-08-17
Packaged: 2018-12-16 16:21:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11832468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Plume_Sombre/pseuds/Plume_Sombre
Summary: KinKuniKage week days 2 & 3: growth & healingKageyama stops on his way home to pet a cat; he's not the only one.





	Bonding

**Author's Note:**

> Late entry is late. Kageyama petting animals is heartwarming, but what is even more heartwarming? Kageyama _and_ Kindaichi taking care of a cat together.
> 
> Enjoy!

Kageyama knows that people are wary of him. Everyone tells him his face is scary and that they don't know if he's pissed or planning a murder. He gets it. It's not his fault he was born with this face—he can't pick up a pen and draw a new face.

But the biggest tragedy of his life is that it clearly even scares animals away, resulting in multiple scratches and blows in the arms or the legs from trying to pet them. Every single time, he thinks that this animal just wasn't the right one; the next cat or dog or parrot he'll encounter will surely allow some petting. Yeah.

So when this kitten peers at him from his hideout under the pavement, he stops walking. He slowly crouches down, and extends his hand, palm open—he read on the Internet that animals will trust him more if he shows that there is nothing harmful in his palm. The kitten comes out, sniffs his hand, and recoils. Well, at least it didn't attack him.

Sighing, Kageyama gets up, and goes home.

* * *

Normally, he would stop after the first rejection, but the kitten seemed rather curious and not overly hostile, so the next day Kageyama stops at a shop and buys some cat food before heading to school. It may earn him a few points. He just grabbed the first bag of cat food he found and hoped the kitten will like it.

He has the bag clutched against his chest when he arrives at the cat's hideout, and freezes upon seeing what is happening.

Kindaichi is rubbing behind the cat's ears, a smile on his face, and the cat is purring.

Of course animals would like Kindaichi. Kindaichi is gentle with everything and he doesn't have a scary face, even though the one he's showing right now looks mildly constipated.

Like Kageyama can talk.

“Uh,” he intelligently says.

“Ah.” Great minds think alike.

The cat is still nuzzling Kindaichi's palm, oblivious to what is happening. Kageyama steps forward, and thrusts the bag at Kindaichi.

“I brought food for the cat.”

Kindaichi looks at it like it's some object from an abstract realm, then looks back at Kageyama.

“Well, you should open it? I only have one free hand.”

The situation is extremely awkward and unexpected, yet Kageyama doesn't detect any animosity from Kindaichi's voice—he should know, after years of being called 'King'. Kageyama nods, a bit stiffly, and proceeds to pour some of the cat food in his own hand (he should have brought a bowl or something). The smell draws the kitten away from Kindaichi's hand and towards Kageyama's, where it happily takes a mouthful of food. Seeing that it's not disgusted by the flavor or the content of the food, Kageyama sighs in relief. He's feeling all kinds of excited, and it must have shown on his face because Kindaichi chuckles. They both look at each other in surprise at the sudden sound; Kindaichi rubs his neck, embarrassed.

“Yeah, I just remembered that animals never really liked you, so... it's nice this cat didn't run away.”

“It didn't like me yesterday,” Kageyama mumbles.

“Food is always the answer.”

Kageyama can't deny that statement since he's also easily baited by food (not as much as Hinata though, thank you very much), so he gives a single nod. The cat has finished his food and is looking for more, which prompts Kageyama to offer him another portion.

“We shouldn't give him too much food,” Kindaichi advises. “Maybe some other people feed him too, I don't want him to be sick.”

“Oh, right.”

The portion is smaller than intended, and the kitten eats it even faster. At least it's good.

“I'm going to bring a plate tomorrow for the food,” Kageyama says.

“You really want the cat to like you, don't you?”

Kageyama flushes the slightest bit, but he can't muster the energy to glare at Kindaichi—because what he said is true and because glaring at Kindaichi is just something he doesn't want to do. They're not fourteen anymore and the past year's experiences on and off the court shaped them into new people, who learned from their mistakes. They wouldn't be having such a quiet and casual conversation if it wasn't the case.

Kageyama gets up, folds the bag and puts it in his schoolbag (it will certainly smell like cat food but whatever). He shifts from one foot to the other, trying to think of a way to say goodbye. See you around? Too familiar. Let's meet on the court? Too formal.

“Are you... going to see the cat tomorrow too?” he asks instead.

Kindaichi looks contemplative for a few seconds, before shrugging, a small smile on the lips.

“Sure, it's on my way to school anyway.”

Kageyama beams at him.

“Cool.”

“See you tomorrow, then?”

“Y-Yeah, see you tomorrow!”

Kindaichi waves and turns right, while Kageyama goes straight ahead.

That precise road is where they used to split up. In middle school, they'd go home together. Kunimi's house wasn't in the same area as theirs, though, so Kindaichi and Kageyama spent more time together. Kindaichi did most of the talking, but it didn't seem to bother him; there were silences too, when they were both exhausted from practice or because the day's events had been particularly tough. Kageyama had liked these peaceful moments, in the late hours of the afternoon. It was totally different from the rambunctious Karasuno.

* * *

The next day, armed with his plate, he's waiting for Kindaichi to show up. He doesn't trust his social (animal?) abilities to approach the cat alone, even with food in his hands. Animals are unpredictable, after all.

Kindaichi arrives from the opposite direction. Kageyama resists the urge to shout to tell him to get here faster (he wouldn't have hesitated with Hinata, and the dumbass would have run towards him to prove he's a speed monster).

“Hey, sorry I'm late,” Kindaichi apologizes with a sheepish smile.

“It's okay,” Kageyama replies. “It's not like I gave you a time or something.”

Kindaichi slightly lingers, wearing an expression Kageyama can't decipher. He shakes his head, and goes to look for the kitten. The latter immediately gets out of its hideout. Kageyama fumbles with the bag of food and the plate, but he manages not to spill it over and sets it on the ground. The kitten stares at it for a few seconds, and decides to dig in once it recognized the smell.

“It's going to be easier like this,” Kageyama says.

“You're going to come every day to feed him?” Kindaichi inquires, arching a brow.

“Well, probably.”

“Huh.”

They stay silent. Kageyama doesn't know what to say; Kindaichi seems less inclined to talk than yesterday, judging by the closed face and the distant look. Perhaps he's thinking about why the hell he's here, with Kageyama of all people, when he could just head for Seijou for morning practice.

Kageyama himself doesn't quite understand how he can be both relaxed and anxious from being near Kindaichi. Both feelings are justified, he supposes, given their history and the situation they're actually in.

“You know, I didn't think you'd be that careful,” Kindaichi suddenly says. “About the cat, I mean.”

“Careful?”

“You always look angry, even though I know that it's your default expression, but I was expecting... I don't know, unmindful gestures. But you know what you're doing.”

“I always know what I'm doing,” Kageyama retorts right away, but other thoughts invade his mind and he winces. “Well, except for. When I don't know what I'm doing.”

He wrinkles his nose at how stupid that sentence is, but this draws a laugh from Kindaichi. The sincerity of it erases all nervousness Kageyama has been dragging with him, and when he looks at him, Kindaichi is grinning.

“Yeah, I get that. Sometimes I think you changed, but you are just like how you always were in first year, only a bit more mature.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

Kindaichi pats him on the shoulder. “Nothing, simply that it's good to know I was wrong.”

Words from a lifetime ago ring in Kageyama's mind, describing a reign he wishes had been shorter. He licks his lips, gazing down.

“I don't think I changed that much, I just... understand. I understand how much of an ass I was in middle school.”

“That counts as changing, in my book.” Kindaichi hums. “You actually listen, now.”

“I guess.”

This actually brings a smile on Kageyama's face, because this is as close to having his apology accepted as any. Even though he understood the reason why apologies weren't needed, he still feels immensely relieved that the friendship he thought destroyed can be fixed. It's not lost forever.

“We should get going, I don't want to be late for practice,” Kindaichi announces.

He dusts off his pants, and grabs his bag. Kageyama follows suit after one last scratch behind the kitten's ears. Kindaichi's grin hasn't worn off.

“See you around,” he says.

“See you around.” Kageyama toys with the strap of his messenger bag. “I'm glad we could talk.”

For a split second the grin wavers, but it's so quick that Kageyama doesn't mind it.

“Yeah, I'm glad too. No more weird awkwardness, I guess.” Kindaichi's voice is soft, coating his words with reassurance.

“I hope so.”

Kindaichi laughs, and this sound is something that Kageyama has missed more than he thought he did that he instantly joins in. It's good, it's refreshing to feel so light, after carrying so much weight for months.

They part ways with a promise to give their all, to show how much they've grown and how far they can go. There is still so much to see, and so much to learn from each other.

Kageyama doesn't have regrets anymore.


End file.
